Walnut dehydrator



y 14 1953 4;. FRANTZ 2,645,036"

WALNUT ,DEHYDRATOR Filed Aug. 17, 19 51 'ZSheetB-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BY MM EM L John M. Franfz Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALNUT DEHYDRATOR John M. Frantz, Modesto, Calif.

Application August 17, 1951, Serial No. 242,351

2 Claims. 1

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in drying devices, and more particularly pertains to a device for dehydrating nuts and the like.

An important object of this invention is to provide a device which may be economically manufactured and operated, for dehydrating nuts and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drying device of the type employing a heater to heat the air passing therethrough, which device will utilize the heated, moisture laden exhaust air to preheat the air entering the drying device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a drying device in which the articles being dried may be continuously or intermittently fed and removed therefrom, and in which the articles, just prior to removal, pass adjacent the heated air entering the casing to complete the dehydration thereof.

An important feature of this invention resides in the provision of a casing having air inlet and outlet openings adjacent the lower and upper ends thereof, respectively, and in which the air is heated adjacent the lower end of the casing and forced therethrough, together with a duct on the outlet opening for directing the discharged air through an intervening open air space to the adjacent air inlet opening, whereby the heated moisture-laden discharged air preheats the air entering the inlet opening.

Another feature of this invention resides in the provision of a drying device, constructed in accordance with the foregoing features, in which a foraminous article support member is disposed in the casing, above the bottom thereof, and

which support member has a bottom inclined upwardly from an article discharge opening, and upwardly diverging sides which form a reduced article passageway adjacent the discharge opening to facilitate the circulation of air around the article passing through the device.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features are attained by this device, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a rear elevational View, parts being broken away and shown in section to illustrate details of construction;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken upon the plane of the section line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken in the plane of the section line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken on the plane of the section line 4--4 of Figure 2; and v Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken on the plane of the section line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Reference is now made more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and in which the drying device is indicated generally by the numeral [0.

The drying device comprises a casing having a front wall l2, rear wall l4, and opposing side walls l6 which are secured together, as by'angle iron standards I8. The bottom wall 20 is secured to the front wall and the side walls, and a rearwardly extending air inlet duct 22 communicates by means of an opening 24, in the rear wall [4 with the casing adjacent said bottom wall. The entire casing is supported on a frame 26 which is disposed on the upper ends of the longitudinally adjustable legs 28, whereby the height of the casing may be adjusted to facilitate the positioning of receptacles therebelow. v

A hood including an upwardly and rearwardly inclined top 30 and downwardly diverging sides 32, is secured to the upper end of the casing, an article inlet opening 34 being formed in the top to permit the feeding of articles into the upper end of the casing. The opening 34 is closed by a sliding closure 36 mounted on guides 38, and a dispensing spout 40, is secured to the top 30, in registry with the opening 34 therein. The dispensing spout includes an upper relatively stationary section 42, and a lower, angularly offset section 44, horizontally movably connected thereto, as at 46, the lower section being adjustably moved by means of handles 48 which extend through a suitable opening 50 in the hood.

It is contemplated that the air be heated as it enters the casing, and for this purpose there is provided a plurality of heaters, such as the fuel burners 52 illustrated which are connected to a suitable source (not shown) by conduits 54, the heaters being positioned in the inlet duct 22. A foraminous heat diffusing member 56, of thermally conductive material, is secured within the casing, above the inlet opening 24, to evenly distribute the heated air across the lower end of the casing. As clearly shown in Figure 2 the duct 22 projects into the casing and the member 56 is cut away at 51 to facilitate a smooth distribution of heated air.

In the illustrated form of the drying device, there is provided a double bin dehydrator, the casing being divided by a vertical panel 58 which terminates above the foraminous member 56 and below the top wall 30 of the hood. The lower end of each bin is closed by a foraminous article support member 60 comprising a bottom 62 inclined upwardly and rearwardly from an article discharge opening 64, and sides 66 which diverge upwardly and rearwardly, to thereby form a chute such that the articles will be gravity actuated toward the opening 64. As will be noted, the individual articleesupport members 60, adjacent the discharge openings form relatively constricted passages whereby the articles passing therethrough will be more uniformly exposed to the heated incoming air to complete the dehydration thereof. The openings 64 are closed by suitable sliding doors 68, mounted for movement in-theguides 10.

The air is exhausted from the upper end of the casing by means of a suitable blower 12, mounted, as by brackets 14, adjacent the discharge openingflfiainztheccear walliil Maifthecasing, A-iforame inous air diffusing screen (not shown) is-disposed imthenoasingzbelowthe-{discharge opening, 16:. to eiteotuatec mcrea unifornya movement .of: 13116-3311 through the casing, and an angulated, down-v wardly-rdi re ete d2 disch arge= :duct *7 8,: is secured" to the casingginregistry with the opening, 7 Thus, the heated;,moistureela-denzair; exhausted-- from th'eecasingsby the blower I2 passes-through=the intervening space between: the: discharge. duct 1 l 8 and; upturned. inlet end lot thee-inlet d-uot- 2 2 and thegsurro-unding ail .is heated thereby: As is ,well known;v cooling o-fn-theamoistureeladerr air; thersurrounding; fill-,QVKRHL causeethe. moisture to precipitatettheretrom The-:air enteringthe inlet duct 2 2:. comprises i. as. mixture of. the. preheated surrounding air; and theepartially; cooled exhaust air: which has :lost a; portion. of .its moisture content in -the. coolingprocessnnd, consequently, .a pprtiomof the heatsupplied. to-.-the. air. entering thezcasing iszeillectively removed, thereby improvinggthe efficiency-of ,the device.

As is best show-11in. Figure.5,the.longitudinall-y adjustable? legs includes tubular. standards 86, which. arersecuredasby, welding,- to the .frame- 2 6, coaxial posts:82gbeinggtelescopically, received in the standardsand...ad-j ustably,.lockedqthereto as by -thepinand slot connection 64..

The fuelsuppliedto therburnerse52'is regulatechbya valve.86..(see Figural)- which valve is thermostatically controlled,.. as b th'ermostat 88; tomaintain-Xthe temperature oLthe. air Within thecasin-g within the desired .range- Fromuthe foregoing, itwill'b'eseen that articles may, be continuously or, intermittently fed through 1 the opening, 34, and ;removed through opening 154,..thev articlesupport member beingof such aponstruction. that the articles are gravity actuated. toward. the..article discharge opening 64., Thearticles fed to. the device may be depositedain either bin,. as .by proper manipulation ofthe spout adjusting hand1e'48j'whichcauses horizontalswingingmovement ofthe lower section144 of the spout.

The airentering through the inletductZZ" is heatedtbyburners'52; to ;the-propertemperature, determinedbythe thermostat 88, the air being forcedthrough the articles in the casing by means of the exhaust'blower-fll The'h'eated, moisture laden air is directed by the duct 18 through the intervening air space, toward the inlet duct 22, whereby a portion of the heat in the exhaust air is recouped, in a manner hereinbefore set forth. It is thought that the advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, and the value of the same to walnut producers will be clearly understood.

Fromthe foregoing, ,the-construction..and operation: onthe device will be readily. understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skillediin' the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described; and accordingly, all suitable modificationsrandequivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the appended claims.

Havingdescribed the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. .A 1.dryingzdevice comprisingaa casing having an: air; inlet 1' openingaadiacent its. lower: end :and an; ou-tieti opening; adjacentv its: upper end, means in said casing for heating thevair entering saidaiinlet' opening; .blowermeans for forcingvair through said casing; an article discharge opening in the front side ofi-sa-id casing above-rthe bottom thereof, and a foraminous article support member in said casing:,.said:-support memberincluding a bottom inclined ru-pwardlyi-away from said zopeningand upwardlynnd rearwardly divergingsides, and a: verticallyinclined... dispensing; chutee hor-i-e zontally swingabl-y; mounted adjacent 1 theupper end of said casing for directing the articles dis-- charged therein: aontoi said-support member; and a downwardly direoted. duct on- .said: outlet open.- ing, said duct termihatingin verticall spaced relation to saidinlet opening.

2. .A dryingdevice comprising ancasing. having an air: inletopening, adjacent its-lower: end and an air outlet opening adjacent itsw-upper end, means-in. said casing=for heating the air.entering said inlet opening, blower. means for; forcing 'air through said. casing, a foraminous. article .support member in= .saicLcasing, and. .a. vertically inclined dispensing chutehorizontally swingably mounted adjacentthe uppeu end .of .said .casing-fondirecte ing .thearticles. discharged .thereinonto saidsup: port .member, and a..,dos,vnwardly,v directed. outlet duct on. saidioutlet opening; said. duct terminating in. verticallyspaced relationtosaid. inlet opening.

- JOHN .M'.. FRANTZL References *Cite'd in" the file 'of thispatent V UNITED STATES PATENTS France Apr. 10, v1933 

